This virtue is difficult and we often don’t learn to have patience until we reach mid life.
In today’s wold of high speed internet more and more people expect instant gratification. All the instant information and connectivity make it so easy to find or do anything, so when it comes to something difficult like patience, it’s no wonder so many struggle with it.
Having patience brings delayed gratification, and this type of gratification is far more fulfilling than the instant type. It is difficult, it doesn’t come easy, but the rewards are plentiful. Have you ever put a lot of work into something that took a long time to achieve?
This virtue is often learned the hard way. For example, by being forced to wait so many times that it no longer bothers you to wait.
There is another slightly easier way to lean this virtue, but it is also still difficult. That’s to work towards something over time and then finally achieve it. Getting a college degree, or saving up over a long time for a big purchase are good examples of this. Having goals and reaching them over time teaches you patience because you get to experience the delayed gratification.
This is definitely not an easy virtue to internalize, but certainly an important one. When you build this skill, you’ll find that you no longer get easily frustrated when things don’t happen easily or quickly. You will be more able to hold your composure and not act rashly to situations where an impatient person might instantly react and make a regrettable choice. You’ll have more resolve and determination when going after your goals and be less likely to give up on them.
How have you learned patience or do you struggle with it?
Closing
Thank you for visiting and taking the time to read this! I hope this post has shown you some of the benefits of this virtue and inspired you to develop it in yourself! If you enjoyed this post, like and subscribe for more Real Thoughts!